Outrage over UK jury's ruling of lawful killing by police

A jury ruled on Wednesday that the 2011 shooting of Mark Duggan by London police officers was a lawful killing, renewing outrage over his death.

The 29-year-old was shot by an officer who believed Duggan had just picked up a gun from an associate. When the gun was found about 20 feet away, many questioned whether Duggan had been armed, and some accused the police of planting the weapon to justify the shooting. The shooting and police handling of the aftermath led to days of rioting in London, and an investigation into Duggan's death was launched that fall.

In an 8 to 2 decision, the inquest jury concluded that "the fatal shot which killed Mark Duggan was the use of lawful force" by police. The decision was reached despite the fact that eight of the jurors said they were sure that Duggan did not have a gun in his hand at the time he was shot. Nine of the jurors believed Duggan threw the gun as he was stopped by police.

Many questioned the logic of the jury's decision, especially in light of the jurors' belief that Duggan was unarmed: